Justice League Beyond
by Darkknight37
Summary: Continuing with the DCAU, Justice League Beyond follows the story of the Justice League after the final season of Unlimited.
1. And The Adventure Continues

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before anyone reads, I need to apologize for the way I went about this fanfic. Originally, it was to be a joint effort, but with my diminished available time, I failed to properly alert everyone who was to be involved with this. I apologize for simply abandoning the group effort, but I still very much wanted to write this story. So with that being said, I went ahead and began the fic myself. I've been working on this on and off for months and I'm fairly happy with what I've been able to come up with so far. Updates won't be very frequent because I want to give this as much attention as possible. Again, I apologize to anyone who is still upset about it. I hope this proves to be worth it.

I do not own any characters in this story

JUSTICE LEAGUE BEYOND

CHAPTER ONE:

…And the Adventure Continues

"Lookit that, would'ja!"

The misty night of mid April covers Blüdhaven even in the narrowest of places. The ally behind Sal's Butcher Shop shares the same feel as two luxury sedans along with seven men gather in secrecy. Two of the men are talking together as the rest of them pay attention to their surroundings. Both of the men speaking are representatives of separate organizations who are making a deal tonight, one of them holding open a briefcase for the other to see.

"Not a bad cut, Lou", the other man said reaching inside the offered suitcase. "Mr. Daggett is gaining some muscle back here in Blüdhaven and is happy to see that the Thorne family is opening up to other…associates. How is the old man doing?"

Lou closes the suitcase as Daggett's representative moves his hand back. He then hands the case over as he motions for his men to wrap it up.

"Not good, Bobby", Lou says. "Mr. Thorne has been bed ridden for six months and ain't looking any better. Bunch of his family keep flyin' in to pay their respects to him."

"That's too bad", Bobby says. "Daggett sends his well wishes and thanks for his support."

The men securing the area began to make their way to their respected cars as Bobby and Lou shake hands.

"The good ole' days are coming back", Lou says. "Gotham's been pretty open game since most of the freaks are rounded up. And the Justice League only deals with UFO's and earthquakes. We're under their radar."

Bobby stops shaking Lou's hand and looks at him with a slight scowl.

"What about the Bat?" Bobby asks sternly. "He likes pinchin' guys like us."

"Don't worry", Lou says. "The Bat's been in Metropolis lately with the rest of the super freaks. Been showing his mug all over TV so much he's lost his bite. Freakin' kids stealing purses and cars don't even sweat'im anymore."

Lou stands by the driver-side car door as Bobby opens it and hands the briefcase to one of his friends.

"It's a good thing there's still honest cities like Blüdhaven left to make a buck", Lou says as Bobby gets in the car. "No masks, no metas, no one playing cowboy who ain't on the police payroll."

"That's not _entirely_ true."

A crash behind Lou forces him to turn his head to see the windshield of his car smashed. His boys spill out of the car in a coughing fit as a smoke cloud pours out of the car as well. Lou forgot to even follow the random voice that came from somewhere in the ally as Bobby starts his car ready to drive away. The front, passenger window of Bobby's car shatters as smoke starts to fill that car. Bobby and his boys exit the car just as quickly while Lou's crew backs them up with weapons drawn.

"Thought you morons said this place was clear", Lou yelled as he pulled out his glock.

"It was, Lou", one of the guys said.

As soon as Lou's men surrounded him, a figure dropped down on the ally ground causing a puddle to slightly splash.

"I know this one!" Lou said taking aim. "Nightwing!"

Nightwing pulls out two batons as his long, black hair covers a small portion of his face.

"I'm touched", Nightwing says with a smile.

He jumps through the air with a grace that almost captivates his would-be attackers. They pause just enough for him to quickly land between them and pummel them with a barrage of baton strikes and kicks. Lou backs away as Bobby and his crew begins to regain themselves.

"It's one of the masks!" Lou shouts to Bobby. "When did they get down here?"

Nightwing takes down the last of Lou's boys as Bobby backs up Lou with his crew.

"We're going global, Lou", Nightwing says with a smirk.

Nightwing charges them as he easily avoids sloppily-aimed gunshots at him. He quickly throws his batons at two of the men and charges the crowd of them. The batons disarm two men as the rest continue to display their poor shooting skills. Nightwing kicked the first of them in the chin and followed with a spinning backhand to the next. Those two fell quickly as the unarmed men attempted to charge him. Nightwing swept the legs out of the first of the two and came up with an uppercut on the second.

Lou and Bobby were the only two left as their crews were easily dispatched.

"You got some guts coming here, mask!" Lou says as he raises his gun.

A baton quickly catches his hand while Bobby knew better than to raise his weapon. Lou grasps his hand in pain as Nightwing approaches them. Nightwing nonchalantly picks up his baton with a snap of his elbow. The two men look at him in disbelief, thinking that these situations were long gone.

"A city full of things worse than us and you gotta come here", Bobby says to Nightwing. "What do you want wit' us?"

A sound behind Nightwing forces him to quickly turn around flinging one of his batons. One of the men did not go down as easily as the rest as the baton smacks into his forehead, stopping any hopes of getting the drop on Nightwing.

"Die you…"

Bobby raises his gun and fires at Nightwing who does not move, even when he heard Bobby and the gun. Bobby pulls the trigger as a white blur drops down in front of him. The bullet bounces off the right shoulder of a woman who appeared out of nowhere.

"No no no", the blonde female says. "Not nice when a man has his back turned."

Her sarcastic smile shifts to a frightening scowl as her eyes begin to glow red. Bobby feels the metal of his glock begin to heat up to a stinging temperature. He screams as it drops into a puddle, causing a brief hiss of evaporation. Both men back into the wall of the butcher's shop just as sirens can be heard in the distance. Nightwing comes from behind the woman and tosses two sets of handcuffs at the men.

"Make it easier guys and put these on, would ya?"

The two look at Nightwing with a bewildered looks as the woman's eyes begin to glow red again.

"Or I can do it _really _easy", she says.

Nightwing points at the bottom of a fire escape where they can cuff themselves. After seeing the woman's eyes, they wasted no time securing their hands to the rusty ladder of the fire escape.

"Much better", Nightwing says as the sound of sirens get alarmingly closer. "Well, they're playing our song."

Nightwing jumps over the two men as he swiftly climbs the fire escape to the top of the building. The woman stares at Bobby and Lou one last time before she lifts into the air. They watch in amazement as the curvy beauty ascends above them, never having seen a Meta firsthand before in their lives.

"Did you see the guns on her, Lou?"

The young Meta lands on the roof just as Nightwing flips over from the fire escape onto the ledge. He stands looking over the ally way with no fear of the forty-foot drop that lies below him. She walks next to him as he stands over her while on the ledge.

"This was bigger than it looked, G", Nightwing says. "All it takes for things to get worse in this city is to have a steady pipeline from here to Gotham. After this, the Thornes are gonna think twice about doing business with Daggett. You did great."

The woman looks down from the rooftop with him, watching as the police begin to round up the men.

"I was slightly off, Nightwing", she says. "He fired his gun before I got there."

"But he was shocked to see you when he fired", Nightwing replied. "Besides, you've got the whole lineage thing down by stopping that bullet from out of nowhere. I don't think big blue could stop spitballs any faster."

She huffs out a slight chuckle as they continue to watch below.

"How long have you been doing this?" she asks him after a moment of silence.

Nightwing turns to look at her as he jumps down onto the rooftop.

"Since high school, really", he says. "Over ten years now."

"I have no idea how anyone can do this without powers of any kinds", she says curling her arm and making a fist. "I'd lose my mind knowing some loser with a gun could end it all with one lucky shot."

Nightwing looks away from her noticeably.

"I know what you mean."

* * *

Hovering over Earth, the Watchtower sits in perfect orbit next to the planet. As the longtime lunar base of the Justice League, it has regained its status as a symbol of hope to the world. The heroes who have resided in this space facility have devoted themselves to protect the people of Earth for nearly seven years. Now in the year 2008, the Justice League has sustained their longest period of peace since its inception. Growing from its seven founding members, the League's roster has necessitated two bases of operation: the Watchtower and the earth-based headquarters, the Metrotower in Metropolis.

As the Justice League's numbers grew, the founding members served as the core leadership within the League. However, in the past two years, two of the founding members have either limited or completely removed themselves from active duty. J'onn J'onz has taken it upon himself to pursue a life of happiness since his Martian race was eradicated on his home world of Mars. His time as a member of the Justice League has opened his heart once again as he chose to pursue a personal love, which he happily found.

Diana, a highly respected and valued member of the League, has begun her venture into the political world. For a while, Diana had hoped to bridge the ideals of her fellow amazons to man's world. She began to make appearances at political functions as a liaison of her people. Now, she is finishing the final negotiations of becoming an official ambassador of Themiscyra. Focusing strongly on her civil duties has all but taken her away from the Justice League completely.

Not far away from the Watchtower, hovering in place is the unofficial face of the Justice League, Superman. To him, watching small shuttles flying around to and from the Watchtower reminds him of the old bug zapper hanging on the porch awning back on the farm in Kansas. With a belly full of cafeteria food he wishes he had passed up, Superman himself wonders if the peace he and his teammates have enjoyed is bound to be broken.

He knows the answer is yes, and he almost feels guilty enjoying the time they have had.

However, he remembers Green Arrow telling him that cops walking the beat can enjoy a sunny day just as easily as everyone else can.

Superman likes hearing simple lines of logic similar to that. His upbringing in the Kent household provided him plenty of lines his ma and pa would say to him as he quickly added each one of them to a notebook in case he needed to refer to them. Growing up, Clark Kent referred to that book whenever a saying he needed to hear could not come to mind. That book saved his life a few times in college. But since his days becoming Metropolis' favorite son, Clark memorized the notebook in case he was ever a few hundred miles or planets away from his bookshelf.

Superman can't help reminiscing about everything the world has experienced over the last few years. The invasions, the threats of war, the political conspiracies and so many other events that were enough to prove his and the League's value to the world. Superman even laughs when some of the Leaguers tease John Stewart for the Guardians assigning a second Green Lantern to help John with the excess work he's been experiencing. Everyone genuinely appreciates the extra help from the new kid that Superman met many years back, but it's still funny to see the look on John's face whenever someone asks if he needs his "assistant" to help tighten a bolt.

The Kryptonian's thoughts are interrupted as the communicator in his ear beeps on.

_"Superman"_, says the voice of Mr. Terrific. _"Galatea's finished in Bludhaven with Nightwing. Seems things went off without a hitch. They're both back on the tower now."_

"Thanks Terrific", Superman responds. "I'll be inside in a minute."

If there were any air in space, Superman would breathe a deep sigh. So little often does he remember to take the time to appreciate the views his abilities grant him. The view of Earth with both the sun and the moon in the same picture makes him feel like a kid again. As a boy, Clark Kent did spend a good amount of time staring at the stars. However, he had the advantage of floating above the clouds before his sixteenth birthday, so the stars seemed more attainable to him.

"Go ahead, Terrific", he says in his ear.

Superman is engulfed in blue light that transports him from the emptiness of space and into the dock of the Watchtower. He rematerializes around station workers performing their duties to maintain the tower at all times. After the transport, he shakes off the brief chills caused by each teleportation. Superman then walks to the ramp of the platform as the bottoms of his boots create subtle clanging sounds against the metal of the ground. The operator working the teleporter control panel looks up to Superman with a smile as he passes.

"Good morning, Bill", Superman says to him as he stops for a moment. "How much longer does she have?"

"Six weeks now", Bill says with country accent. "Can't keep enough peanut butter and jelly in the house anymore."

Superman smiles as he lifts into the air.

"Well, remember to have pictures ready for everyone to see", he says hovering towards the command bridge.

Superman rises above the bridge to see Mr. Terrific, Steel, Green Arrow, Nightwing and Galatea standing in conversation.

"Morning everyone", Superman says as he lands on the bridge with them. "How did it go last night?"

Superman lands as Nightwing looks at him with folded arms.

"Great", he says with a yawn. "There are a couple of guys who won't be showing up in my backyard anytime soon."

Superman lifts his eyebrow as he turns his head to Galatea.

"Nothing like that", Nightwing says with a slight chuckle. "Let's just say Blüdhaven isn't used to flights and tights that much yet. I've only been there for a couple of years now and I keep a lower profile than most in our business."

"Gotham and Metropolis are pretty well versed in our kind", Terrific chimes in. "The locals in those cities wouldn't exactly relocate after a blown deal."

"I still have no clue why anyone would do anything stupid in those two cities", Green Arrow adds.

"Why does anyone do anything stupid in the first place with our kind around?" Superman asks. "The point is we have to make our presence known in every city without completely stepping on the toes of local law enforcement."

"We've been walking that line for a long time now", Nightwing says. "Anyway, I gotta get back to the Haven. Can anyone get me a lift?"

"Sorry Nighty, but I'm ready for a bath and my comfy bed", Galatea says.

Mr. Terrific smiles as he points Nightwing to the teleportation platform below the command bridge. Nightwing sighs as he looks over the console where Terrific pointed him. Steel walks up to Nightwing holding a small box.

"Don't forget this", Steel says as Nightwing turns around.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about this", Nightwing says enthusiastically. "Did you get it running again?"

"The hard drive froze on it", Steel says handing the box to Nightwing. "That's the fourth one I've fixed this month. Next time you get an MP3 player, make sure you buy the store warranty. I had to tell that to Stargirl, but I don't think she even bothered listening."

Nightwing smiles as he jumps on the console.

"Thanks Steel. See you guys later."

Everyone watches Nightwing leap off and use the gliders under his arms to slow his descent to the lower section of the Watchtower. Green Arrow turns to Steel with a smile.

"I never get the warranty", Green Arrow says.

"That's because you can afford to buy ten of every toy you get, GA", Steel says.

Superman watches as Galatea leaves the monitoring platform for her much needed sleep. She had been on training missions all week with Nightwing, learning the ways of the streets as well as learning to work with someone whom she could build level of trust with. Since his first days as a member of the League, Nightwing has proven himself to be an extremely valuable teammate. Superman knew that Galatea had a better chance of learning from someone who carried himself in a way that Superman respected as much as he does Nightwing. Normally, that role would easily be Batman's, but Nightwing also proved to be more agreeable than his mentor.

However, when it comes to Galatea, it's not easy for Superman to look at her and not think of his cousin Kara. He misses her, and so do Ma and Pa. Kara was a free spirit who Superman had the pleasure of calling cousin as Clark Kent, especially since he found her on Krypton's sister planet in suspended animation. He brought her home to Kansas in hopes of offering her the life she was denied on her home world after it felt the devastating effects of Krypton's destruction. She was his adopted cousin, almost a sister, and more importantly someone who was his closest connection to the home he never knew.

Now her clone Galatea is a member of the Justice League as a fulltime member and a resident of the Watchtower. Superman had taken her on as his responsibility when the idea of her joining first came about. Since the careful questioning of her joining are is but a memory after the attack by Cadmus, he is happy to see she is holding her own as a member amongst the other League members.

Superman also takes a moment to watch Steel and GA go back and forth with a smile. To him, he knows that it's a good thing that they can have these moments. He always enjoyed having such different personalities come together and working together as well as they work. Also, the humorous moments that these moments breed make him more comfortable with what he does as a protector of Earth. People like his teammates remind him of what he's fighting for.

"She's getting along fairly well", Mr. Terrific says interrupting Superman's thoughts.

"She is", he responds. "But I'd feel more comfortable if she would work with more than one person."

Terrific sits down at the main control console as Steel and GA make their way down the steps from the platform. Superman stands behind Terrific with his arms folded still in thought.

"Well for my dollar", Terrific says. "If I had to pick one person for her to work with, it would be Nightwing. He embodies the majority of skill and experience Batman has, with a major improvement in the personality department. With those combinations at work, it's a good position for someone looking to turn a new leaf to be in."

"Yeah", Superman sighs. "You're right."

Terrific turns in his chair to look up at him.

"My other opinion is that maybe for your own sake, you should stop putting the expectations you had for Kara onto Galatea", Terrific says. "She may be a copy of Kara, but she has to become her own person. Cadmus trained her fairly well, but left a lot to be desired. So unlike Kara, Galatea came with a lot of needed deprogramming. The attachment you have for Galatea is understandable, but she's starting to feel the pressure from it. You know how long it took for her to let go of her attachment to Hamilton, so don't go looking to add yourself into that role."

Superman stares blankly at Terrific.

"…I read self-help books for amusement", Terrific says with a small grin.

Superman chuckles for a moment and takes the empty seat next to Terrific.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Superman asks while logging into the Watchtower system.

"Columbian drug trafficking", Terrific says as a map of Central America appears on the console monitors. "There's steady activity stemming from Columbia into the Central American countries. The activity stops in Guatemala by the Mexican border. With the recent Mexican sanctions set up with U.S. aide, drugs have had to go around Mexico to make their way into the states."

Superman yawns as places his hand on his cheek.

"With cocaine suppliers appearing in other areas", Terrific continues, "Columbian drug lords' chief export took big losses. Rumors are stating that another drug of choice is coming out of Columbia to balance out their profits."

"It took them this long?" Superman says under his breath.

"But we can't confirm what exactly they're exporting", Terrific says. "Washington's contemplating organizing a special taskforce to find out first hand what the Columbians are prepping to export. For some reason, they can't gather the proper intel."

"Uh huh", Superman barely makes out.

Mr. Terrific turns to Superman with a confused look.

"Something on your mind, Superman?"

"Sorry, Terrific", Superman says straightening himself up. "I guess this down time's starting to get to me."

Mr. Terrific's look grows even more perplexed.

"Down time?" Terrific asks. "We've been busy for months."

Superman looks back at the monitor with an almost disheartened look on his face.

"Yeah", Superman huffs. "I suppose you're right."

* * *

"So what's it gonna be, Zee?"

Vigilante stares down Zatanna with a heavy glare. Zatanna returns his stare as the hum of the florescent light mixed with the whirr of the ceiling fan fill the room.

"Llifer", Zatanna says as she points a flow of magic from her finger into her empty teacup resting on the lounge table.

"Sure could use a set of hands like that", The Question chimes in, waiting on her move as well.

Zatanna sips from her teacup, giving a satisfied sigh as she places the cup newly filled with honey lemon back on its saucer. True, she could have gone without the sigh, but she knows Vigilante bets larger when he's rattled.

"Call", she says.

Five cards lay on the middle of the table, only with three exposed. The Queen of Hearts, Seven of Diamonds and the Two of Spades stare at the four leaguers while two cards remain unturned.

Question now looks at his cards as Wildcat finishes another beer.

"Stinking light beer is all we got?" he asks before his belch fills the room.

"You know we've got a lady in the room here, Cat", Vigilante points out while still irritated.

"You mean the one that's got your rent sittin' in front of her?" Cat sneers back.

"I've done better, Cat", Zatanna adds while Vigilante stares back at them both. "Besides, Vigilante's been hitting the moonshine since nine this morning. I'm sure there are other bills he'd like to be late on."

Vigilante huffs out a laugh as Wildcat places his cards face down. The four league members are enjoying their hour dinner break from their duties within the Metrotower. These four have been enjoying each other's company since the official splitting of the Justice League roster into two operating units in both the Metrotower and the Watchtower. Vigilante had one of the unused quarters remodeled into a poker room along with Zatanna. Other members often join these four, but mostly these four are always in the game.

"Turn'em", Question says.

Vigilante turns over the final two which are Ace of Diamonds and King of Hearts. Wildcat drops his cards in disgust while the other three continue to raise the ante until they stop at a fairly high amount.

"Show'em", Zatanna says.

Vigilante almost jumps towards the pot showing his cards.

"Ducks", Vigilante says excitedly showing his pair of twos.

Zatanna lets out a one of her trademark stage-smiles.

"Cowboys, cowboy", Zatanna says showing her two kings.

Vigilante's eyes over his bandana drop from confidence to a defeat that he seems used to experiencing with the magician. Zatanna greedily reaches for the pot as The Question grabs her wrist.  
"As the irony is enough to make me laugh hysterically, may I point out to you Zee that I'm sitting on pocket rockets?"

Everyone raises their heads to see the pair of aces sitting in front of the outstretched arm of Question's.

"Ah shoot", Zatanna says sitting back down in a huff.

"Jeez, Q", Wildcat says cracking another beer.

"That sure is one heckuva poker-face you got there, Question", Vigilante says as Zatanna gathers up the cards.

"Come to daddy", Question says in his usual calm tone while gathering up the chips. "You know Zee I'm surprised you didn't have any cards up your sleeve."

Zatanna pouts while she reorganizes the deck.

"Where do you think that last hand came from?" she dryly says with her lips puffed outwards. "I really wanted those leather boots, too."

"Suppose you're going to take that Huntress gal out with my money there, Q."

The Question quietly counts his chips to cash out with the cash box Vigilante locks away in the small safe in the room. Everyone starts to stand up from the table, but Vigilante continues to stare at his losing hand. Wildcat walks out with a quick "see you later" to everyone. Zatanna uses her magic to gather his cards knowing he'll stay there all day if she lets him. Vigilante continues to stare at the blank spot even after the two cards that rested there were magically returned to the deck. The cards float in the air then fly directly into Zatanna's top hat.

"So what time are we scheduled for that simulation Shayera set up?" Zatanna asks. "I have to be in Reno for a show tonight."

"We got plenty of time", Vigilante says. "Shayera's been prepping the new girl for Watchtower duty. Don't know why, really. She's had the Bat breathing down her neck for so long that you'd think this would be a piece of cake."

"One would think that, Vidge", Question chimes in. "The Dark Knight has a particular obsession with attention to detail. It would lead to believe that his pupils would adopt – by choice or not – the same characteristics to some degree."

"Batman definitely has a way of leaving a little bit of himself with anyone who spends time with him", Zatanna says with a sly tone and a smirk as she sips the last of her tea.

The three sit down again as The Question counts his earnings. They raise their heads to the opened door as a knock is heard. One of the newer members of the League peeks his head into the room, with a oddly relaxed look on his face.

"'Scuse me guys", the young Green Lantern says. "Shayera sent me in here to get you. We're ready to run the simulation."  
"Sure thing, Kyle my boy", Vigilante says. "We're finishing up in here."

Rayner smiles and pulls his head back from sight. The three are finishing with the clean up while Zatanna seems slightly distracted, which Vigilante notices right away.

"Looks like new guy's got Siegfrieda's attention just a bit", he says teasingly.

Zatanna looks up at him slowly with a ticked off look on her face.

"Keep yappin cowboy, and I'll turn your gee'tar into a ukulele."

* * *

"You think I'm in over my head, don't you?"

Diana sits at her desk with her hands folded under her chin. She stares down at a subpoena issued to her by the United Nations for her actions at the Peace Summit in the Kingdom of Jordan last month. Her glasses perfectly reflect the letter to the two women standing in the room in front of her desk, Diana's two most trusted aides.

"It is not that, Diana", the young woman says to her with a European accent. "You were doing so well for so long to have made a mistake like that."

"I agree", the older woman adds. "I know that the Syrian ambassador insulted you, but slamming him through that buffet table was no good."

Diana sighs as she now opens her hands to catch her face. Her two advisors have grown more and more concerned with the pressure Diana faces from being a former member of the Justice League. The large amounts of attention she draws from worldwide gatherings of nations to city fundraisers add more pressure on her to prove her worth as someone who politically represents a nation's people. Most of celebrities or public figures who have entered politics in the past worked primarily with the people of their country. It was not often that former movie stars had to debate world issues with representatives from other countries.

"Look on the bright side", the young woman chimes in. "At least no one had to eat that awful food after the incident."

Diana snorts a laugh into her hands as she brings her head up to see  
Dr. Sandsmark cover her own face after Audrey's comment. Audrey always had a way of lightening the mood when the weight of the world came down on her. For Diana, Audrey represents someone who has allowed humility to raise her after she resigned her reign of Kasnia. To have such a carefree spirit around her during her mission helps Diana to see everything from a less-dire perspective.

Dr. Helena Sandsmark plays the role of "bad cop" between the two advisors. Diana met Helena during a archeological dig in Egypt to help unearth Thanagarian artifacts from thousands of years ago. Dr. Sandsmark had spent the majority of her time, however, serving under the newly government-formed Historical Artifact Preservation Organization. Her responsibilities were to declare which artifacts were to be given federal assistance to preserve for future generations. Now, Dr. Sandsmark helps Diana of Themiscyra on a part-time basis to advise her on domestic politics. Dr. Sandsmark has had her battles in securing federal money that was originally intended for other uses, some being selfish uses. So if anyone could have shown Diana how to properly battle politicians, it was this woman.

"Diana, you don't need me to remind you of all you've accomplished up until this point", Dr. Sandsmark says while bringing her hand down to her side. "EVERYONE is looking for a good reason to blackball you from the UN, especially representatives on your side. You don't bring this much heat on anyone who publicly endorses you, no matter how much someone deserved getting slammed through a table full of food."

Whenever Dr. Sandsmark raises her voice, Diana almost feels the aura of her mother near by. Diana looks at the serious look behind the circular glasses resting on Dr. Sandsmark's nose, marveling how her red hair manages to stay redder than her face at the moment. It's a complete departure of the demeanor that Audrey – whose own vanity led her to legally keep a single name – carries with her on a regular basis. Even their professional attire differs, with Dr. Sandsmark's business suit to Audrey's cardigan sweater, skirt and open-toed high heels. It shocks Diana that they manage to stay professionally tolerable of one another.

"So what can I expect to happen at this hearing?" Diana asks her advisors.

"Judging by what I had to go through, I don't think this will be as dire as you make it seem."

"Judging by what you had to go through…?" Diana asks raising her eyebrow.

"Oh lord…" Dr. Sandsmark says covering her face again, knowing exactly what Audrey is about to say.

"Some South American peasant copped a feel during a retirement banquet for one of the UN representatives. I was still queen and exercised my royal right to defend myself by giving him a concussion with my…"

"Stop", Diana says holding up her hand. "I remember reading about it."

Audrey folds her arms as she relives the event.

"I don't know if that cockroach's country even exists anymore…" Audrey huffs.

Diana starts what seems to be a small smile as she stands up from her chair. Dr. Sandsmark seems relieved that Audrey stopped talking while Audrey herself continues to shiver from her horrific experience.

"I have to just face this head on", Diana says. "If I attempt to present myself in a rehearsed fashion, I won't last long. What I would like from you two is to go over a speech I've written to see if that's going to help my stance."

Diana hands over a piece of paper to both of her aides. Audrey gives Diana a confused look.

"Did you not just say you didn't want to rehearse anything?"

"Well, that speech is more of what I expect myself to say in the heat of the moment", Diana replies. "It's more like a list of replies and answers to any possible question I may face. Well, you're right; it is a bit of a rehearsal. I just need all of the preparation I can get to show everyone that I'm not some mindless brute looking to change the world with my fists."

"That is an image you're going to fight for as long as you last in politics", Dr. Sandsmark says while looking over the speech. "For example: what I really want to say about a few of the items you've written down here are things I'm trying to sweeten up knowing what you can do to me."

Deadpan humor, Diana's favorite.

"Just work on that speech before I fire you or make some museum my own personal gym", Diana says with a smirk.

Diana now fully smiles as she walks from behind her desk to embrace her two friends. Towering over the two women as she does allows her to put an arm around both of them at the same time.

"I trust you both", Diana says.

"You had better", Audrey replies. "I could be finding something better to do with my spring nights."

The three women end their embrace and walk towards the door of Diana's office. Her two advisors leave promptly to begin their work as Diana lets them out. After closing the door, Diana walks back to her desk while removing her glasses. The morning sun slowly transitions to the afternoon, but still manages to shine a fitting amount of light through the window behind her desk. She walks to the window to stare out at the buildings of New York City. The landscape of the city may have changed over the years, but Diana will always marvel at humanity's creations as she resides in one herself.

She begins to think about her two friends who now work with her on the political stage. To Diana, the three of them are a team working together in pursuit to better the world. Diana was apart of a team with similar goals, but Diana began to venture away, hoping to better the world in a more diplomatic fashion. Her road has not been the easiest to travel, but Diana remains determined despite all of the negativity towards her.

Diana turns from the window and looks at some of the pictures on her wall. They consist mostly of photos with her and politicians, Audrey and Dr. Sandsmark, and some of her with her mother. She knows what faces should be resting on her wall along with the other pictures, the very large part of her life that brought her to Man's World in the first place.

But that is the part of her life she is quietly trying to rid herself of. That entity has existed for better and for worse over the years, with the worse of it nearly bringing the world to the brink. Even as she could easily ask for a few of her former comrades' involvement in her work to help raise awareness, she knows that her own involvement brings on enough attention.

Also, Diana no longer publicly displays her mother's armor in her office as she once did. The looks delegates have given her for having full Amazonian armor with shield and sword on display implied to her that she needs to let go of her hero life altogether. She almost feels ashamed for allowing herself to walk away from that life as much as she has. However, in order to improve the relationship between Amazons and Man, and to help preserve the planet they share, Diana, Princess of Themiscyra, knows that there is only one way for her to achieve her goals.

* * *

"Commish, I know that you've been letting freak-job and his cabbage patch play good guys in this town for years, but they needs to stop hangin' perps offa friggin' lampposts!"

"Well Captain, at least the exercise has been doing you some good."

Harvey Bullock looks down at the belly that doesn't hang out as much as it used to, then gives off a toothpick-framed smile. He walks towards the lamppost as GCFD cut down Two-Face's men from the rope hanging them up there. This gives Jim Gordon the opportunity to enjoy his coffee in peace while Gordon's longtime friend and partner hiding in the shadows approaches.

"You know, Harvey should thank you for the perp-piñatas", Gordon says. "He would have never gotten married swallowing donuts and telling beat cops what to do on a daily basis."

"Then how did you ever get to remarry?"

"Deadpan humor, my favorite", Gordon says then sips his coffee. "And for the record, this sense of humor you've developed over the years is scarier than your usual demeanor."

The Gotham night is humid from the day's rain. The unusual, yet typical heat wave that hit during April is fitting to the uncomfortable atmosphere of the city. Tonight, Gotham is starting to see the end of the reign of terror that has plagued the city for almost fifteen years. The theatrical and unusual criminal element that attempted to claim the city on a nightly basis has nearly been contained for good. Now all that remains is the normal crime that cities across the world suffer from.

Gordon listens to Bullock berate the captured individuals from a distance before the blood can flow back from their heads.

"Two-Face is the last loose end I need to take care of before I hang up my badge, old friend", Gordon says. "Montoya is ready to take over, but I want to make sure she has her own lunatics to take care of. She doesn't need to start off with Harvey Dent or any other of my sins still out there."

"For what it's worth, I'm sure she could handle it."

Gordon takes another sip.

"I don't doubt that", Gordon says. "It would just be more satisfying if I could retire with all of Gotham's monsters finally locked away for good."

"Most of them are, but two."

"More deadpan", Gordon says. "I'm going to count Two-Face as one, thank you very much."

"I wasn't talking about Harvey."

Gordon stays silent for a moment, and then breaks the silence with another sip.

"You told me that he was practically brain dead", Gordon says sternly. "You said the Justice League declared him catatonic."

"Brain dead isn't dead. There's always the chance…"

"He's DEAD!" Gordon shouts as he throws his coffee to the ground.

The rest of the GCPD didn't notice Gordon's outburst as they continued to arrest Two-Face's men. Gordon lowers his head while trying to calm down.

"Forgive me, friend", Gordon says with his head down. "But my legacy will always show that Gotham suffered its worse years of crime under my watch. Yes, you shared the brunt of its wrath, but in the books it shows that I was solely responsible for Gotham's safety. You have to understand how important it is to know that I took all of that with me when I retired."

"I do, Jim. But you're the one retiring, not me. Arkham's new facility was designed by the Justice League, so whatever's in there is staying in there. Harvey is finished, he even knows that. Tonight was his last attempt at a score to get him out of town. No syndicate or family out of town is willing to touch him if he goes to them with empty pockets. Even the local crime lords are turning him away."

"H…Harvey isn't who I'm concerned about, old friend", Gordon replies with a slightly cracking voice. "It's that other one that keeps me awake at night. He's claimed so much of this city's soul, our soul."

There is a brief pause, and then it is broken by Gotham's longtime protector.

"That other one is a reason why I'm still on the streets, Jim. If he resurfaces, I have the resources to see that he doesn't claim any more of us than he already has."


	2. Leaving The Nest

AN: Well, I said I wouldn't update so much as I wanted to take time with this story. But this was longer than I expected. I just got over moving and fiddling with other life things. Now, I'm good to go with this. I have been thinking about this story, and I'm excited with the things I've got lined up for it. I can't wait to see how it turns out. Just remember, I wouldn't write it if I wouldn't read it, so I hope you enjoy my venture into these stories of my favorite heroes.

I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS, JUST THE 'PUTER I USED TO TYPE THIS

CHAPTER 2

LEAVING THE NEST

"Robin, behind you!"

Batgirl, Robin, and Black Canary find themselves in a bit of a mess on this humid Gotham night. Barely into April, and the temperatures have been reaching abnormal highs, mixed with a humidity that could strangle anyone who requires assistance to breathe. For the three crime fighters, they wish they were in the air-conditioned Watchtower, floating in the coldness of space. Instead, they're stuck in Boxy Bennett's warehouse on the east docks of Gotham City. This section of the city is currently under a power outage that has lasted for three days, which contributed to the rotten fish smell in the air.

"I know, I got him!"

Batgirl wishes the muggy air and dead fish stench were the only things annoying her at this time. Robin had been showing off all night in front of Black Canary, which he usually does in front of other women in the League. They were staking out a meeting with Bennett's crew and some Blüdhaven mobsters looking to make a business alliance. This had to have been the sixth underworld meeting in the last week, if Batgirl counted correctly. She and Robin had managed to handle the others with very little incident. However, tonight they knew that this meeting had more significance, which is why Batgirl requested Justice League help. With Batman on a mission with Green Lantern and Booster Gold at some planet in the whatever-nebula, she was given help in the form of Black Canary.

Batgirl really had hoped that the curvy canary wouldn't be the one to help them, simply so that Robin wouldn't feel the need to show off even more than he usually does. But she knew with the numbers at this meeting being so large, they were going to need what help they could get.

The three have taken out most of the soldiers handedly, with only a few heads still left, plus a large man named Rhino who used to be in Scarface and the Ventriloquist's gang.

After finishing up another soldier, Batgirl notices that Rhino is walking with purpose towards her. She then charges at him, with a bo retracted in her hand, similar to the one Robin uses. She lifts into the air with a forward flip, swinging down with the long end of the bo onto Rhino's head. The bo is made of a fiberglass alloy that gives maximum damage with minimal recoil and tension on the bo itself. Batgirl knowing all of this, knew that if he didn't fall over unconscious after this strike, she'd have to break both of her wrists trying to take him out.

The strike was far more damaging then she realized, as she dropped the bo in excruciating pain, while falling to the ground. Her wrists did receive the majority of the damage, while Rhino shook his head for a brief moment. She's seen Batman take this guy out before with just his hands, but she wasn't as strong as Batman to have handled Rhino in one move. She gathered herself and back flipped to her feet. While landing, she saw Robin and Black Canary attack Rhino from his behind. They both delivered mirrored roundhouse kicks to the back of his knees, taking him down immediately. Robin reached into his belt and pulled out a gas pellet and sprayed it directly onto Rhino's face. Rhino swung out his arm, knocking Robin almost ten feet away, with the gas not taking effect as fast as Robin had hoped. Starting to sit up with a dizzy look on his face, Rhino was too groggy to notice that Canary lifted her leg above his head. She then fired the heel of her foot down onto his sternum, knocking him out instantly.

"Great! Just great!" Bennett shouted while taking cover behind a crate of dead fish.

Bennett had hoped that this meeting would have gone down without any of Batman's crew busting it up. It was bad enough that the fish have gone dead with the power outage, but now he would just like to get out of the warehouse and out of Gotham. Gordon's been cracking down on anything with a crooked dollar in their pocket, so Bennett knew he would have seen the last of his business for a long time if he got pinched here.

After Rhino was given a temporary nap, Bennett drops to his hands and knees, comically trying to avoid attention to his stealthy getaway. Turning the corner of the crate had been hiding behind, Bennett's crawling picks up its pace, only to run headfirst into a pair of yellow boots. He slowly follows the shapely female leg up to the face of Batgirl who looks amusingly ashamed.

"Boxy, Boxy, Boxy…" Batgirl says while shaking her head. "Not nice to cop a look on a lady."

She tries not to take off his head with a back kick, but she really wants to, knowing she'll be carrying this smell on her for quite some time. So instead, she simply kneels down and lands a haymaker squarely on his head, knocking him out cold.

"Ouch", Canary says with a wince walking from behind her. "And I thought I was rough on big boy over there."

Batgirl turns to Canary, while rubbing her wrist from putting down Bennett.

"It's been a long week", Batgirl says letting go of her wrist.

Black Canary kneels down to bind Bennett's hands while he begins to snore from being unconscious. She sighs while Batgirl turns away and walks towards Robin, who is standing up rubbing his head. Rhino got a quick, but heavy shot on Robin.

"I remember Batman telling me that Rhino felt like he was made of brick", Robin says rubbing the right side of his face. "He didn't mention how fast he was."

Batgirl smirks at Robin, who knows what she's thinking.

"Can we just go please?" Robin asks annoyed while walking away from her. "This smell is seriously grossing me out."

"It's just a smell, Robin", Canary says walking next to Batgirl. "Do you know what smells you have to encounter while in the League?"

Robin hears what Canary says, but is too embarrassed to say anything. He stops in his tracks with his back to the ladies, unable to see them quietly laugh at each other. He really wanted to show Canary he had what it took to be apart of the Justice League, even if he wasn't even a reserve, which Batgirl and Nightwing had been. He has worked on Batman's team for a few years, which also found him siding with Superman against Brainiac for one mission. Robin also knows that the costumed crime is all but gone in Gotham, which is a reason why Batman has been comfortable leaving responsibilities to him and Batgirl.

"Well, at least you have no choice to take a shower tonight", Batgirl says, which made it impossible for Canary to hold in the laugh that made Robin want to drop a smoke pellet and disappear.

* * *

"No leads with Bennett", Batgirl says to Batman.

Batgirl and Robin report to Batman via the computer in the cave. She sits at the console with Robin standing over her left with a less than thrilled look on his face. Batman is transmitting from a Javelin returning home to the Watchtower, and he has an even lesser thrilled look on his face. The monitor shows his face, with Booster Gold chewing on what appears to be his lunch from behind. John Stewart could be heard communicating with the Watchtower with an ETA to dock.

"Harvey doesn't have many options left", Batman says. "Rupert Thorne is the only heavy left in Gotham who has the resources to set up Harvey in another city, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon with the vendetta towards one another."

"What about outside Gotham?" Batgirl asks. "Who would have resources and even want Two-Face apart of their organization if only as an enforcer."

"No one", Batman says. "There's too much heat on Harvey for anyone to want to touch him."

"What about Metropolis?" Batgirl asks again. "New York? Or what about…"

"No one", Batman flatly answers.

Batgirl quickly sits towards the monitor, placing her hands on the armrests of the chair.

"Well I'm sorry, but we're running out of options here", Batgirl says in a surprisingly loud tone that surprises both Robin and Batman. "You get back here and YOU figure this out."

Batgirl cuts the feed from the Javelin before Batman could answer her. The screen goes blank and she slams her back against the back of the chair. In a deep sigh, she fails to notice the look on the face of her adopted sidekick, who is scared out of his mind.

"B…Barbara", Robin says finally coming to. "Where the heck did that come from?"

"I…" Batgirl tries to say. "He needs to be here."

She gets up from the chair in a huff, blowing past Robin and making for the stairs. The suddenness of her response does everything to confuse the young boy, who wouldn't know the first thing about understanding the depths of a woman's emotions.

As much distance she put between them, Robin clearly hears what Batgirl quietly says next.

"We need him here."

* * *

Batgirl sits atop of St. Christopher's Church on the corner of Kendall and 43rd, looking down at the early morning traffic heading for their day jobs. Gotham has been so much quieter in the past two years, with the majority of the lunatics put away at the new maximum security Arkham Asylum. That has allowed Batman to be away for missions with the Justice League, while she and Robin are left to clean up the residual clutter that Gotham PD could easily handle itself. She tells herself it's for a greater good, Batman having such an important role with the affairs of the Justice League. She knows first hand that the majority of the success they experience would not be had he not been apart of them.

Batman had a way of raising the level of a team, especially the one she first joined. Her first official stint with Batman drove a wedge between her and Dick that has yet to be mended – if it ever will. She loved him greatly, but it was everything that wearing the Batgirl costume meant to her that forced her to choose. She loved knowing that as Batgirl, she contributed to perhaps the greatest chance her father had of coming home safely on a nightly basis. She knew that being apart of something so special and important would fulfill her as a person, who is pursuing a life of upholding the law.

When Tim joined the team, a void had been filled left by the first Robin. To her, the family may not have been the same as when Dick was there, but it felt complete. Robin added a light to Batman that she tried to add herself, but just couldn't with what Tim brought to the table. She knew that Bruce gravitated more towards Tim, especially since he saw so much of himself in the tragedies both of his Robins had endured. Batgirl supposes that her involvement gave Batman a different feel that he was probably not ready to experience.

During the first years of the Justice League, Barbara went away to law school and took time off as Batgirl. She was thrilled to finally finish her education under her terms, but she thought about Bruce and Gotham's rooftops every night she failed to get sufficient sleep…which was every night.

She missed the life.

She hated knowing that Bruce and Tim were without her. It was too difficult to know that Batman wasn't in town to help her father, even if Nightwing teamed with Robin in the majority of Batman's absences. She didn't doubt Nightwing; she just knew that Batman was that much better.

She regretted not being able to tell Bruce how she really felt about him.

How could she?

Age difference aside, there was so much that was standing in her way. For one, she used to be Dick Grayson's girl, Bruce Wayne's adopted son. Dick was shattered when she decided to stay on as Batman's partner when he was ready to walk away, but how could she live with herself knowing what any possible relationship would do to him. She still loved Dick, but her feelings for Bruce had grown every night while protecting Gotham.

They worked so well together, so elegantly, so romantically. If she had to choose a simple way to describe it, it was almost like a ballet. They were so in sync with one another, knowing what the other was going to do three moves before they did it. Of course, there were also the nights of swinging in the air together in unison, feeling as free as the birds themselves. Also, the way one would care for the other's injuries so carefully, so tenderly.

How could she not have grown feelings to Bruce?

She has felt many pains by holding back her feelings, but what has pained Barbara the most is that Bruce knows how she feels. She noticed the way he would cut their conversations short if it could possibly lead to a situation for her feelings to come up. She especially hated how he would make excuses when she called him while away at school, and he would make pathetic excuses to cut their conversations short. She spent four years away from Gotham, being forced to work the summers by the school to help pay her tuition and costs of living.

The events of being around and away from Bruce were strenuous enough on her heart, but nothing could match how she felt after returning home.

Batman and Superman had formed the Justice League with five other heroes inhabiting Earth in one form or another. That meant he spent a great deal of time away from Gotham, which he left her and Tim in charge of when she returned. It was nothing against Tim, but she hated every moment Batman was away. She had so much she needed to tell him, and the opportunity has never presented itself. Barbara wonders if Bruce purposely spent more time with the League in hopes of avoiding her, knowing that she felt so strongly about him. He never was good with women at any point of his life, even if it was all a shame to maintain his playboy image.

Image or not, she knew the man Bruce Wayne was, and that was the man she spent eight years falling in love with.

Batgirl sent out a transmission for Batman to meet her on this rooftop, implying that it was urgent. She ignored the way he snarled at her for cutting the connection on him earlier, since his Batman-act had lost its effect on her years ago. Tonight was the night she decided to put it all out there. If he wants her to continue as his partner, his trusted stand-in, he was going to listen to what she has to say and not avoid her.

Of course, he was late. She had been sitting up on the roof for what felt like an hour, but was only twenty-six minutes. She reacts subtly when Batman politely makes enough noise for her to hear him from behind.

"You were right", Batman says while walking towards her. "Harvey went to Daggett in Blüdhaven, who intends on gift-wrapping him to Thorne as a gift of appreciation for the new partnership between their respected organizations."

Batgirl closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She didn't even bother listening to what Batman had said to her. This was it.

"Batman, I…"

"They're going to deliver Harvey by a private plane that is supposed to head to Seattle, where Daggett has territory and connections for Harvey to get involved in. Instead, he's going to land on a private runway owned by Thorne thirty miles north of Gotham, where Thorne's men will be waiting for him."

"Batman…"

"I just informed Montoya about the information I picked up on my way back from Metropolis. She'll alert Gordon while she attempts to collaborate with the Blüdhaven Police Department on stopping that plane from…."

"BATMAN" Barbara shouts, cutting him off completely. "Listen to me, please."

Batman looks at her with an innocent curiosity, which she knows is an act as he's doing it. She walks up to him, while his look on her never changes. She looks at his bewildered face, trying not to get angry at how he's avoiding this.

"I've followed you, looked up you, believed in you for over eight years", she says with her voice starting to crack with emotion. "I've never questioned or doubted you. You've always made a believer out of me."

Tears stream down from her eyes and over her mask. She does all she can to not tremble under her own words and feelings as he continues his blank look on her.

"I…I don't know what else to do. I love you."

She stops in hopes for some form of response, but only gets his well-practiced stare. The lack of response propels her into a quiet, crying fit. She now looks at him with a desperate expression on her face, desperate to hold on to her feelings.

"Please, say something…anything…just say something…"

Batman continues to stare at her, as though that blank look was all he had ever trained to do in his life. She slowly starts to tremble, with her bottom lip quivering. The exposed areas of her face are streaming with the tears that are flowing harder than they ever have.

"SAY SOMETHING", she shouts at her lungs, causing surrounding birds on the roof to scatter.

After releasing all of that anxiety, Batgirl now fixes a wide-eyed stare at him. The trembling feeling over her is slowly losing its hold, quickly being replaced by anger. The person she respects more than anyone in this world, the person she loves more, cannot give her any form of response to her most cherished feelings.

The sun starts to peek from the horizon, slowly illuminating the rooftop. Batgirl's shoulders subtly rise and fall with every breath she takes in, returning Batman's stare. In her mind, she's panicking. She spent so many years with these emotions bottled up. The realization of those feelings meaning nothing to him is starting to set in.

"You…you can't say anything, can you?"

Batman relaxes his shoulders for a moment to straighten his posture. Batgirl is starting to calm, only because the grim feeling of rejection is starting to fill her. The love, the respect she has for him. They have never felt as foreign as they do at this moment.

Her father had always told her that a real man would always be able to understand his true feelings, and make his decisions in life based on those feelings. It was something she remembers when she asked him about being a single parent, what it took for him to raise her. Barbara has set out for that man, hoping she would understand what her father was saying to her while finding him. Looking back at those moments, everything from the example of a man set by her father, and the example Bruce has shown her over the years, she was finally able to picture what a true man was.

That realization has just broken her heart.

"Nothing", she says with a defeated tone. "Absolutely nothing."

He continues to stare as though he had left before she even started talking.

"Fine…"

* * *

"First off, let me start this press conference by saying how much Gotham City means to me. I came here in hopes of doing my part to making this a better city for its people. The soul of this city was crying out in pain, while men and women took advantage of Gotham on a nightly basis with violence, dishonesty and indecency. Back then, it was hard to find an honest cop to trust. I took pride in doing my job to the best of my abilities for the better of the people who I had sworn to protect. For thirty years, I suffered along with my city, and I defended it with everything I had, every night on the beat.

"Forty-eight hours ago, Harvey dent – better known as Two-Face – was apprehended in Blüdhaven by Gotham PD in coordination with the Blüdhaven Police Department. He has been readmitted into the Arkham rehabilitation program at the new Arkham facility. With the prior inmates of Arkham showing no ability to escape custody in the new high security facility, I can declare Gotham City the safest it has been in my thirty years on the force.

"I have had the privilege of leading the finest law enforcement officers any commissioner could pray to have under his command. Knowing that Gotham will always be under their protection and the generation after them, I can finally say with comfort and joy that I retire as acting commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department. I pray that everyone who has served under my term as commissioner has understood that my duty to Gotham is only bettered by my duty as a father. I know that the next commissioner is more than ready to watch over this city, to ensure that its people will be safe.

"It's normally the responsibility of the mayor to declare the next commissioner, but he has allowed me the privilege to officially name my successor. With that being said, I would like to announce that Captain Renee Montoya, born and raised in this city, as the new commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department."

* * *

Jim Gordon sits at his dinner table, enjoying his retirement already with the meal his daughter had prepared for him. He wanted nothing more than to spend his first night as a retired police officer with his own daughter, Barbara. He knows how much of her life he has missed while being the commissioner of a large city. Her support and understanding has allowed him to become a better man and a better police officer. She is the love of his life, the woman in his life. Jim Gordon owes so much of his life to the love he shares with his daughter, and he couldn't be more proud.

However, he looks at her with a concerned feeling. He knew she would be emotional the day he hung up his badge, because she knew how much his job meant to him. But tonight, the tears she streamed had much more feeling to them, and it did nothing but concern her father.

"I think after that meal, my gut officially sticks out further than Harvey Bullocks."

He finally gets her to laugh, even though she sniffles through it. She clears the table of dirty dishes and utensils, especially the plate she barely touched. Jim saw that she had been carrying around a sadness with her since Harvey Dent was apprehended.

"We can't avoid this forever, Barbara", he says to her. "Something's bothering you and I'm really starting to get worried."

Barbara has been so overcome with emotions over the last two days. So much was finally said, so much had happened, so much had not happened. Tonight was suppose to be her father's night, but there was so much she kept from him, and even something so important to her that she can no longer keep from him.

"Dad…" she finally blurts out from the kitchen sink. "We need to talk."

"Uh oh", he says, like he always does when she needs to talk to him about something. "By the window?"

He points with his thumb towards the chairs by the windows as she nods, where they always sit when a problem comes about. He stands up, removing the stained napkin from his shirt collar, then walks to claim his seat. She slowly walks to her seat, as he notices her fiddling with something in her pocket.

"Dad", she begins as she sits down. "I…I've been keeping something from you for a while."

He raises his eyebrow to her, but remains silent to allow her to speak.

"So much has been going on in my life lately, and yours of course", she continues. "I had been working towards…a goal of mine. Something I've wanted for so long, something I've been looking forward to since looking up to you as a child."

Her father's curiosity is starting to peak as she removes something from her pocket, but keeps it hidden under her hand on her lap.

"I made a decision to follow through on something important to me, and I faced it, just like my father would have faced a problem. I hoped that you would understand even though you would probably not approve of it, since it is something you've come to know so well over the years.'

She reaches for his left hand with her left hand, and puts it under her right hand by her lap.

"I don't know what you'll think of this, but I hope you'll support me the way I had always supported you. It means that much to me."

Lifting her right hand over his, she opens it, and he feels a weight fall into his. The shape and feel of what she placed in his hand is all too familiar, and his eyes widen at the realization of what it is.

"Oh my god…"

He looks at her with a shocked look on his face, while she returns a hopeful look on her face. His shock subsides as tears form up in his eyes.

"I…I can't believe it."

Jim Gordon looks down at the badge of Officer Barbara Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department, and he has never felt as proud as he does this very moment.


	3. Education: Part I

CHAPTER 3

EDUCATION: PART I

"I hope you two are ready for this."

The young heroes from Dakota City take those words from John Stewart to their racing hearts. The Javelin piloted by the Green Lantern is close to its destination in Arizona, an off-site training facility for the League. It was used during their first training exercises as a team when the League consisted of only the original seven. Now, it has become the Level 1 training ground for the newest recruits to the League.

Static and Gear have protected their city for four years, but now find themselves apart of the newest recruits to the Justice League reserves roster. Static looks out of the window as the desert he passes over seems to have no end. The three of them had been quiet since they boarded the Javelin at the Metrotower, only John Stewart occasionally giving the boys words of advice. Two other Javelins follow en route to the site, towing more young reserve members. Gear and Static met with the other reserves briefly before leaving the Metrotower, but they had not met them before.

The Dakota City boys had trained on the Watchtower a few times. They even helped the Justice League save the world on one occasion. Static had always dreamed of this day since he first worked with the League, but Gear was never as ambitious as his friend. Static now finds himself overcome with anxiety, wishing he was just helping them stop Brainiac again rather than actually joining the League.

"Those are just jitters", GL says, noticing the boys' looks on their faces from the pilot seat. "Trust me, after a few of these sessions, you'll be more comfortable."

"So tell me again why we're out here in the desert where no one can hear us scream for our lives", Gear says in a sarcastic tone.

"That's so if you decide to quit, you better be ready to find your own way home."

Gear adjusts himself on his seat, trying to think of how far he'd have to walk after Back Pack gave out from the high exposure to heat. Now he wonders why he hadn't prepped Back Pack for extreme weather conditions. Gear knows it's just the nervousness of what they're about to face. The simulation on the Watchtower is nothing compared to live-weaponry, which is what they're suppose to encounter today.

The boys take deep breathes as the Javelin begins its landing sequence, slowly hovering to the ground. They see the two other Javelins land next to them as John Stewart kills the engines. Static and Gear unfasten their seatbelts and stand up to do various stretches from sitting for such a long time. They wondered why they just couldn't teleport to the site, but they suppose GL wanted them to have time to think about what is about to happen.

Stewart walks towards the ramp as it lowers to the ground for them to exit. He stops the boys from exiting to give them one last piece of advice before they begin.

"I know you've been protecting a city between the two of you for a few years now", GL begins. "For the next couple of days, try to pretend you've never seen any action in your life."

The boys slowly nod as Stewart flashes them a comforting smirk. They don't see him smile that much, but this helps alleviate some of the tension the two have been under for the last two hours. However, they still remain as nervous as they've been in a long time.

* * *

"Ok, Squirts" Wildcat says while standing in front of the four young League members. "Forget that lil' playground you used to run back home. Those pick-pockets and spray painters aren't what you'll be tanglin' with today, that's for stinkin' sure. Today, you're in Wildcat's playground, and if I see you on my merry-go-round without my permission, I'll take a piece of your hide, capiche?" 

The series of random and intimidated nodding from the recruits – who are standing in a left-to-right formation with the hot sun beating down on them– gives Wildcat enough satisfaction that these kids know he means business.

"Good", he says as he pulls up a clipboard to his chest. "Now, so I can memorize your names today without having to call you by my less-than flattering observations of what you're wearing, please take one step forward when you hear your name and you'll avoid an embarrassing hero name for the rest of your life."

Wildcat looks over everyone in line, while Green Lantern, Steel, Stargirl and Speedy stand behind him in unison. Each one of them laughs under their breath from Wildcat's introduction and the look of terror on a few of those kids' faces.

"I'm glad Wildcat loosened up over the years", Speedy whispers out of the side of his mouth to Stargirl.

"I'm glad these guys are smart enough to keep their mouths shut during the first ten minutes", Stargirl replies using the same technique. "Remember what happened to Supergirl?"

Speedy snorts under his breath, but it was loud enough for Wildcat to hear. Wildcat looks behind him, and sees Speedy and Stargirl trying to regain their posture in time.

"Oh good, I forgot about you two", Wildcat says while turning back to the recruits. "Before we begin, class, these two graduates of the reserves unit had never heard the saying 'Silence is Life Saving'. If it weren't for our shortage of hands at the time, these two would have been kicked back to the waterslide they lifeguarded before they decided to stop playing dress-up and be real heroes."

Wildcat pauses for a moment, but is shocked when he realizes that none of the recruits blurted out any outbursts of amusement. They were too busy being scared of getting on his bad side.

"I think this is the smartest bunch yet", Wildcat says looking everyone over. "But just in case some of you get the giggles or a sudden case of deafness in the next week, take a look at the faces of these two to see how it feels to play at my park again."

Speedy and Stargirl's composures shift to sudden a sudden shock of realization. They honestly believed they were asked to join the new recruit training session because of how well they thought they had passed and progressed from a recruit to a fulltime member. Fortunately for them, they have already learned one lesson by not saying anything in response, then resuming their normal standing postures behind Wildcat. Speedy feels a sickening twist in his stomach for failing to realize how uncharacteristically nice Wildcat had been with him lately. That's not how things are normally between the two. Stargirl just wished she hadn't declined taking the public appearance mission in Central City for Flash's museum exhibit anniversary. She hated public appearances after the parade she was in Metropolis, and thought this mission would be a snoozer.

"Alright you two, go stand with the team", Wildcat says to Speedy and Stargirl. "The rest of you be ready to hear your names. Ok…Robin step forward."

Wildcat paid special notice to Robin during his talk, and is ready to waste no time in testing him. He's fully aware of what Robin brings to the table as far as ability goes, but knows that he still has plenty of room for maturity, if what Batman told him was correct.

"Robin, so you're playground is Gotham City?" Wildcat asks.

"Biggest slides and rustiest swings in the country", Robin says back with a smirk, while Speedy and Stargirl walk over and stand on the opposite end of the formation.

"Uh huh", Wildcat says happily as one of them took the bait. "And since you don't know the meaning of the word rhetorical, go ahead and answer another one for me: why did Batman waste his time with a pipsqueak like you by his side? Did Gotham have a midget infestation?"

"Nope", Robin says now folding his arms in his hands. "Just over-sized creeps who think its ok to talk tough to a kid and not expect to get their butt handed to them by one."

Wildcat violently throws the clipboard down to the ground, and marches over to Robin with heavy steps. He stands in front of the young vigilante, whom he towers over by almost a foot and a half. Wildcat looks down at Robin, and is slightly impressed that Robin didn't flinch or change his posture.

"That sounded like it was directed at me, bird boy", Wildcat snarls while the other recruits pay attention to imaginary objects anywhere else. "You think I'm just some two-bit muscle with a stolen TV that you can take out with a kick from your size 4s?"

"No…" Robin says with a sigh, while realizing what Wildcat is doing. "I apologize for talking out of turn."

"Good, you talk smarter than you look tough", Wildcat says breathing onto Robin. "If I had half a mind, I'd flip you upside down and vacuum this entire desert with your face if you hadn't shut your mouth."

Wildcat knows that Robin is fully aware of his physical abilities as a fighter. Wildcat doesn't doubt that Batman made Robin memorize the entire Justice League roster with frequent updates on the new and departed members. This is why Wildcat is smiling on the inside; he knows that Robin has what it takes to be a League member just by this small exchange.

"Yes, sir", Robin says in a huff as Wildcat backs off.

Wildcat walks back to retrieve the clipboard he tossed down, while giving Green Lantern and Steel a look signaling that he likes what he just got from Robin. He dusts off the sand that accumulated on the list of names as he turns back to them. Robin slouches a bit as the others wait attentively, not wanting anything to do with Wildcat's bad side.

"Ok, lets see who the puppets are with the rest of you", Wildcat says looking at the list again. "How about that, standing right next to our lil bird, the shiny girl."

The girl standing to Robin's left steps forward in her suit of armor, co-created by her uncle John Henry Irons: better known as Steel.

"Says here you're a second generation tin can, is that correct?"

Steel and GL snort out a quick chuckle, but quickly compose themselves out of habit. Irons' niece nods silently at Wildcat's question.

"Don't think just cuz Uncle Steel is here I'm gonna go easy on you", Wildcat flatly teases. "He knows that I'll twist you into a cage and stuff bird boy there in it faster than your stomach's gonna turn after today's over with."

She nods again, not giving way to any of Wildcat's taunts.

"Good, you'll be fine then", Wildcat says. "So what do we call you? Have you even pulled enough kittens outta trees to get a name in the papers?"

She looks at him through her metal faceplate, which is capable of relaying facial expressions. The look through her mask shows a confusion of whether not to verbally answer him. He motions with his hand to hurry up and speak while he's allowing her to.

"My…my name is Natasha", she hesitantly says.

"Natasha, that's a pretty name" Wildcat says, now walking up to her. "Well, I'm not a huge fan of subtlety, but hopefully it works wonders for ya."

Natasha nods silently, showing the discipline she was instructed by her uncle to display. Wildcat was right, she doesn't have much experience, but she is highly skilled in mechanics and engineering. Natasha has helped her uncle design and produce his suits over the past few years, she even is officially interning at his shop in Metropolis for college.

"Ok gang, we're almost through with you", Wildcat says walking back to his speaking position in front of the young people. "Ah, the Dakota boys, you two got some serious miles on you."

Static and Gear feel their hearts drop to their ankles when Wildcat slowly paces at them. They watched Robin survive a verbal thrashing of what they hope is Wildcat's worse. So they try to play it cool.

"You two got some history with the League if I'm not mistaken.

Static and Gear nod feverishly, as though they were being interrogated.

"How cute, you guys are fans", Wildcat says walking up to Gear's face. "Say, that Big Bang thing that happened in your city was suppose to give you guys powers, so why do you got that super Swiss army knife on your back? This is when you're allowed to speak."

Gear almost doesn't listen, thinking that calling this potential bluff will result in his immediate death. Wildcat starts a sigh, but can't even finish before Gear answers him.

"My powers are enhanced brain functions", Gear says to an unimpressed Wildcat. "I built Back Pack, my equipment and some of Static's hardware from scratch."

"Good, I like having a grease monkey around incase my '57 needs a new intake manifold", Wildcat says while sliding over to Static. "So Sparky, if my ride breaks down, you gonna give it a jump?"

Static takes Gear's lead in hesitating to give a response, but he takes lesser time realizing he can reply.

"Um, sure", Static replies.

Wildcat waits to see if Static has anything else to say, but receives nothing else from the young hero. Wildcat pats Static on the shoulder and nods, hoping it'll prevent the kid from hyperventilating on the spot.

"And don't worry about that growth on your head", Wildcat says referring to Static's hair. "We'll see if Zatanna can't reverse that spell."

Static lowers his head to hide his face as much as possible. The terrified feeling Gear was overcome with is gone, only to be replaced by a humored smile at Wildcat's comment on his buddy's hair.

"Alright then, that's it for introductions", Wildcat says walking back to his spot, but Steel and GL walking to his side. "Now since we've got you guys identified and focused, here's what's going to happen today…."

* * *

Static and Gear both finishing their vomiting fits behind the saloon, which is apart of the mock old west town constructed by Green Lantern years ago. The training they took part in today yielded satisfying results from everyone, but Wildcat made it a point to push everyone to their limits. Natasha had proven her effectiveness in her suit quite well, but had much to learn in a team setting. Static and Gear's experience as a team gave them an edge with the familiarity they have with one another. Plus, when they had to pair with either Robin or Natasha instead of with each other, they handled themselves fairly well. 

Robin stood out from the other three. His extensive training with Batman and nightly patrols in Gotham clearly put him ahead the others. His skill, however, is only overshadowed by his brashness and constant need to show off. Green Lantern remembers when he tried to get Batman to take the training at this site seriously, so he wasn't completely surprised at how Robin responded to the course.

Speedy and Stargirl showed the focus they lacked the first time they completed recruit training. Wildcat verbally berated Speedy during every session, reminding him that had he kept his mouth shut the first time, he'd be on the Watchtower watching TV right now. Stargirl took a leadership role during the drills, constantly reminding everyone's spots in battle, and even putting Speedy and Robin in check a few times. Green Lantern, Steel nor Wildcat had ever seen that side of her, but they did everything they could to encourage it once it came out.

All of the heroes now sit at the bar at the saloon of the replica town, eating a vegetable beef stew made by Steel and Natasha. Wildcat stressed to the young heroes to eat well in their profession, because their bodies are their livelihoods. After this day of training, they all needed a good dinner. Static and Gear even managed to hold down some of the meal after emptying their stomach only fifteen minutes earlier. Wildcat doesn't care exactly what they eat after battles, because he knows they'll work off whatever they take in the next day.

Everyone has finished their meals, feeling the effects of the day individually, and trying to manage the great amount of food they had just eaten.

"Steel, that was some good stew you made", Robin said holding his stomach. "If I eat like that anymore I'll start looking like Wildcat."

GL, Steel, Stargirl and Natasha all laugh at that comment, while Static, Gear and Speedy keep their mouths shut. Wildcat looks down the bar at Robin who's making his face easy for Wildcat to see.

"Hey, I'm in great shape for my age, tweety", Wildcat says. "Keep making wisecracks and your digestive system will be the only thing functioning properly in your body.

"It's an old family recipe my grandma showed us how to make", Natasha says sitting next to Robin. "I made the cornbread muffins and shitake salad."

"Oh my gosh, that shitake salad was so good", Stargirl says turning to Natasha and putting her hand on her shoulder. "We're so having the same Watchtower duty hours. What else can you cook?"

Natasha starts to feel a little more comfortable letting herself open up some to the new people in her life, especially after a tough training session and compliments about her cooking.

"What else do you like?" Natasha says with a smirk.

Everyone laughs as Green Lantern moves from his stool and takes the spot behind the bar. Everyone continues to talk until he raises his hand.

"Ok guys, you completed the first day on the job almost flawlessly", GL starts. "Everything I see you lacking on will get better with time. But what will make the difference is your commitment to improving on what you started today. After we clean up here and reset the training facility for the tomorrow's run, we're taking you to the Watchtower."

The new recruits show similar looks of surprise on their faces. They expected to return to the Metrotower all the way back in Metropolis, but they're spending the night in space instead.

"Your belongings at the Metrotower have already been transferred to your rooms on the Watchtower. The six of you are to be split into pairs, so you'll share rooms with the person you're paired up with. The pairings are Speedy and Stargirl, Static and Gear, and Robin and Natasha."

Robin and Natasha felt a frog jump into their throats after hearing what was just said.

"Speedy and Stargirl can explain, you two", GL says noticing the looks on Robin and Natasha's faces.

"It's no biggie", Speedy starts. "It's like a two-bedroom apartment really. We're supposed to build some sort of familiarity with our partners, and then we'll change up after a week and bunk with a different partner."

That thought brought some relief to Natasha, who values her privacy more than anyone else she knows, even her uncle. However, Robin suddenly realizes a problem with those arrangements he had yet to think about.

"Wait a minute", Robin says raising his hand frantically. "What about our secret identities? I didn't sign on knowing I had to give that up. That's bogus."

"You've gotta mask, kid", Wildcat says. "Make sure that's the first thing you put on in the morning and after a shower if it means that much to you."

Robin looks at Wildcat, not satisfied with his over-simplified answer. He sits back down thinking if he honestly could wear his mask while eating cereal and watching his cartoons in the morning.

"Don't worry, Robin", GL starts. "You'll be in full uniform when you step out of your rooms. Learn to trust the person you're with, but you don't have to trust them with everything. If you feel like you have to hide your face and identity from your roommate, then by all means, go ahead."

Static and Gear look at each other, knowing they'll be fine the first week since they've practically grown up together. Gear turns to Stargirl, who he doesn't mind at all taking extra glances at whenever he can.

"So how did you and Speedy manage?" Gear asks while sipping his apple juice.

"It was alright", she says. "I walked to the restroom one night and he passed out on the couch in his undies, snoring louder than a Javelin's thrusters. That was probably the worst of it."

Everyone begins to laugh, even Speedy does while remembering how awesome that was, but Natasha is overcome with a great sense of discomfort. She had never shared a room with anyone, even a sibling. Now she finds herself in a situation where she'll be sharing space with someone she knows nothing about, and it's a boy. She turns to Robin with an almost pleading look on her face.

"Please don't do things like that, too", she asks him getting close to his face.

He backs off a bit, knowing full well that Alfred used to find him in the same manner every morning. Robin smiles at her nervously, then he turns to see Steel eye-balling him from his stool, mangling a fork in his hand with a smirk on his face. He drops the fork down onto the bar, twisted and destroyed from his previous form. Robin figures that Steel could do that to a boy his age a lot easier than a fork. Robin then turns to Green Lantern desperately.

"So one week you say, huh?" he says with an even more panicked look on his face.

John Stewart folds his arms and nods, while Natasha folds her hands in her lap and lowers her head, completely embarrassed.

"One week."

* * *

"Ritchie, look at this room!" 

Static and Gear enter the room designated as their quarters during the first week of recruit training, in complete awe of the furnishings they get to enjoy. Static runs to the living area, with the big screen plasma television and the luxury sofa sitting in front of it. Gear makes his way towards it, rubbing his eyes like he used to on Christmas morning.

"Virgil my man", Gear starts. "We're in heaven."

They both sit down slowly on the sofa, taking in a kind of cushioning that they never thought their backsides would never enjoy in their entire lives. Static takes off his mask while Gear places his already removed helmet on the coffee table in front of them. They sit silently for a moment at the blank TV that has them mesmerized, until Gear finally speaks up.

"Do you think we can order the fight on this thing?" Gear asks.

Static turns to him, with a similarly devilish look on his face.

"Aww yeah!"

Next door to the heroes from Dakota City, Stargirl and Speedy ready themselves for a good night sleep, knowing full well what the next day is going to bring them. They already said their goodnights, wasting no time to get a shower and prepping tomorrow's uniform. Stargirl knows that Speedy is fairly irritated by having to do all of this training again, but she noticed a subtle growth in his maturity as the day progressed. She's mostly surprised at how easily it was for her to help out the new recruits during the sessions, especially the leadership role she had taken on. Stargirl felt a strong sensation she had yet to feel while being in the League, one that she never would have dreamed of feeling while she was one of the younger members. But, there she stood, a young member in a leadership role to future reserves of the League.

Wildcat was right about something else today; Stargirl knew that if the League didn't desperately need hands back then, she and Speedy would never have been put on active duty. That fact embarrasses her, especially since she notices how everyone in the League takes their jobs to their hearts. That's not to say she doesn't as well, but she should at least show she does through her actions. It would seem that she took her newfound role with the recruits subconsciously in order to make up for how she slacked her way into the Watchtower the first time.

For Stargirl, tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

Unfortunately in the next room, the team of Robin and Natasha find themselves in more of an awkward situation.

They have only met earlier in the day, and are nowhere near comfortable enough to share any space together without any complications. They sit across from each other at the table by the small kitchen in their quarters. Robin has removed his costume after his bath and is wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, but has kept his mask on trying to be as comfortable as possible without revealing his identity. Natasha has already changed from her armor into her rubber duckie pajamas for the night, sipping on hot tea she made herself. Robin stares down at a half cup of water he's having trouble finishing.

"You did great today", she says to him breaking a ten minute-long silence between them. "I think you did the best out of us."

Robin looks up at her, noticing she's making an effort to be cordial given the situation. That relaxes him quite a bit, especially since she was so opposed to the arrangement from the beginning. It also helps him that she threw in a compliment.

"Thanks, Natasha", he says while reaching for the water cup with two hands.

She notices that he's nervous around her, even more so than she was around him. But it wasn't Robin that made Natasha uncomfortable; it was just sharing a space with him. He didn't ask for it anymore than she did, with him having to protect his identity.

"I understand how you feel about your identity", she says then takes a sip. "I'm not too crazy about…you know, sharing a space with anyone."

That comment causes Robin look down at his water again. That forces Natasha to notice something that she hadn't even thought about. She didn't know for sure, but she's positive that Robin is much younger than she is. She is in the second semester of her second year of college, but to her, Robin didn't look like he belonged in the eleventh grade. She stares at him for a moment, and then realizes how she might have hurt his feelings.

"Oh, it's not you", she says. "Its just I've never even shared a bedroom with anyone. Everything in my space I've always had the responsibility to myself, so this is different for me."

Robin drinks the rest of his water, lifting his head back like an alcoholic desperately looking for one final drop. She stares at him doing that, starting to notice how he over emphasizes every action he does. She even saw how he walks normally back in the desert, as though he were walking towards a criminal, ready to take him on.

"I'm used to living with people, but that was in a bigger place", Robin finally says. "Like I'm sure you're not too thrilled sharing with a boy, I'm not thrilled in making anyone feel uncomfortable."

Natasha sighs, wondering if he even heard her say her discomfort had nothing to do with him. Then after thinking for a moment, his presence in the room is why she's in such discomfort. She decides to take a different approach.

"So what do I call you?" she asks him.

"What's wrong with 'Robin'?"

She finishes her tea, placing the cup on the saucer on the table. Natasha looks up at him, wiping away tea drippings from her lip with a napkin.

"Well, I was just wondering", she says now bringing up her knees to her chin, placing her feet on the chair. "Since we'll be fighting over the remote for the next week, I'd like to be able to be mad at one name and be confident during training with another."

Robin chuckles at that, knowing that everyone at Wayne Manor does the same to him. He brings his legs up like she is, sitting similarly. He looks away from her and towards the window looking out at earth. Natasha notices that Robin had been staring out of the window a lot since they first walked in, taking in the view as though…

"He never brought you up here, did he?"

Robin shakes his head, in complete awe of the sight. Natasha looks at him, then turns to look out the window and remembers what that view felt like the first the she saw it.

"Uncle John brought me up here a few times", she starts. "I remember before getting into engineering, I wanted to be an astronomer. I was always looking up at the stars from Suicide Slum, hoping it was better up there than it was down here. My hopes were answered."

"Same here", Robin asks. "I just wanted to go up there and forget how crummy a city Gotham was to grow up in as a kid. My old man left me alone so much that all I had was a window to look out of. That was before I figured I could go out and do stupid stuff to get in trouble like he would. But when I was really young, I thought the stars were my only friends. Now…here I am, with my friends."

Natasha listened to him, quietly understanding how it felt to be afraid of their surroundings as a child. Suicide Slum in Metropolis was home of the worse the City of Tomorrow had to offer. The good people of that area felt that everyone else in the city had no idea how well they had it sleeping in LexCorp controlled areas, free from the crime and drugs found in her neighborhood. From what she remembers hearing and reading about, Gotham was mostly Suicide Slum, and only a little of Metropolis.

Robin looks back to her, with a small, but tired smile on his face. The draining he took from the day was finally catching up with him.

"Tim."

She smiles back at him, resting her head on her knees in front of her.

"Hi, Tim."


End file.
